by Tony Gray
posted 28 December 2021

WHITEHALL, NY --- Board of Education members approved, without discussion, merging with long-standing rival Granville to field a joint football team beginning Fall 2022, during their Dec. 20 meeting.

Granville and Whitehall had signed a sports merger agreement at the beginning of the year but Whitehall's BOE pulled football out of the merger, during their May monthly meeting. Trustee Richard LaChapelle was the only board member to vote against ending the football merger, in May. The soccer team and cheerleaders were still covered by the earlier merger because only the football program was rescinded.

During the May meeting, Superintendent of Schools Patrick Dee recommended exiting the merger. Superintendent Dee informed board members Athletic Director Keith Redmond had assured him there were enough student athletes for Whitehall to field full Junior Varsity and Modified football programs using only Whitehall students.

"We're currently at 34 students in grades 9-12 next year," Dee said at the time. "With having enough students for safe a safe JV/Modified program, it will lead to sufficient numbers for a full team in 2023/2024."

LaChapelle questioned what would happen if a handful of Whitehall students leave the district or decide not to continue with football. LaChapelle said he thought the next time the district plans a merger, the board should get stakeholders from the community and administration to meet with the board, "so we're not taken by surprise next time."

It is unclear if community stakeholders were involved with the decision about this merger.

Whitehall BOE members heard the superintendent read a letter he said was penned by a Granville junior on their football team, expressing support for the rejoining of the two programs.

"It's no secret that participation numbers are at an all-time low," Dee read from the letter. "The merger of our programs will ensure a long-term sustainability for football." The Granville student, whom Dee did not identify by name, added many of the players on his team were friends with Whitehall student athletes. "We've grown up together, participated in youth sports together and would love the chance to compete for a High School championship together."

Dee proposed that athletic committee members LaChapelle and Chris Dudley meet with Granville athletic committee members to start preliminary conversations about the proposed merger.

"Anything we can do that enhances opportunities for our students and student athletes is certainly beneficial," Dee said during the November board meeting. "I think it's worthwhile to sit down and have some very candid conversations with our neighbor and see what we are able to do with athletics."

Merger terms call for an open interview process conducted by the superintendents and athletic directors from both schools to pick the combined head football coach. That person will join the committee to interview and hire staff for the merged football team.

"Any coach who has been terminated or asked to resign from a position at either school will be ineligible for consideration," is a condition that was reportedly inserted in the agreement to prevent a former Whitehall football coach now at Granville from getting the top football job.

Transportation will be a known issue that the ADs and coaching staff are directed to work on to equitably balance sports transportation with academics and driver availability.

Differences in athletic codes of conduct will be hammered out by principals and ADs. Meeting league and sectional paperwork and filing deadlines has been delegated to the two ADs.

Dee was not available for comment during the district's Holiday Recess.